Wheel with resiliently suspended rim



Oct. 31, 1950 s. MAloRcA WHEEL wm-x RESILIENTLY SUSPENDED RIM 2Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 11, 1946 FIGS Oct. 31, 1950 WHEEL WITHRESILIENTLY SUSPENDED RIM Filed Dec. 11, 1946 S. MAIORCA 2 Sheets-Sheet2 Patented Oct. 31, 1950 4 I WHEEL WITH RESILIENTLYSUSPENDED SalvatoreMaiorca, Turin, Italy Application December 11, 1946, Serial No. 7153197In Italy December 12, 1945 8 Claims. (01. 152-44) This invention relatesto a wheel the rim of which is resiliently suspended with reference tothe hub through the interposition of resilient members of rubberpre-compressed in an axial direction and working in shear or bendingshear in the plane of the wheel; said members, being arranged on acircular row or, better, ontwo or more circular rows, in order to obtaina wider range of resilient deformation.

According to the invention said rubber members may consist of eithercontinuous or interrupted rings, that is, consisting in the latter caseof circular sectors or blocks. The resilient rubber members,suitably'distributed on two coaxial,

rows, are fixed to a rigid central core consisting of a fiat metal ringset edgeways on the middle plane of the wheel. When continuous rubberrings are used, they may form a single unit of double T sectionenclosing the core formed by the central fiat ring.

The adoption of divided rings, 1. e. rings formed of sectors or blocks,is generally preferable, as with this construction the resiliency of thewheel may be more satisfactorily adjusted and the degree of transversecompression of the rubber is increased without setting up abnormaldeformation of the member under buckling stresses.

Under given conditions, in fact, when arranging the rubber all round thecircumferences, that is, when using continuous rings instead of separateblocks, in order to attain suflicient resiliency of the wheel, thethickness of said rubber rings would have to be so reduced as to affordan unsufficient resistance against the required transverse compression.

The accompanying drawings show, by way of example, in Figures 1 to '7two embodiments of the invention, using continuous rubber rings anddivided rings, that is, rubber blocks, respectively.

Figure 1 is a part axial section of a Wheel with a resilient rimresiliently suspended according to the first embodiment.

Figures 2 and 3 are axial sections of a further wheel taken on the topportion above the axis along line ABCD and, in the bottom portion, alongline EF and GH of Figure 4, in the relaxed position and under load,respectively.

Figure 4 is a partially sectional perspective view of the wheel shown inFigures 2 and 3; Figure 5 is a cross section on line IL of Figure 2;

and Figures 6 and '7 show details of the stirrup shaped members,fastened respectively to the rim and hub, which connect together lateralhousing elements enclosing blocks of p e-compressed rubber.

with reinforcing ribs 35';

Referringto' Figure 1; numeral l denotes the rim, on which ismounted,for example,- the tyre; rim l comprises two radial fianges'z and3, thesecond of which is of smaller size, so as to allow of insertingthe wheel body between rim l and hub Ill. Said flanges may also form aunit with the rim instead of being separately welded to the sides ofa'standard rim as shown in the drawing.

The wheel body comprises a rubber member of double T section consistingof two rings or circular bands 4 and Shavinga profile as shown in thedrawing, connected together at-theirmiddle portion byza flange 6-enolosing a metal core l4 formed by a fiat ring of, for instance,

aluminum or iron, placed edgeways and to which the rubber is firmlyfastened by known means.

To the sides of the rings or bands 4 and 5 are mounted, partlyincorporated in the rubber and firmly fixed to it, radial metal rings 1and 8' turned respectively outwards and inwards. Radial rings l-and 8are further connected joined together by bridge pieces 9, fixing ofwhich sets up a transverse compression in the-rubber member. Rings 1 and8 also serve as connection, for examplathrough bolts, to flanges Zand 3of the rim and to flanges IZ'and I3 of hub l0.

Referring to the modified construction shown in Figures 2 and 7, thecontinuous flanged metal ring I4 set edgeways on the centre line of thewheel between hub lll'and rim'l, has radial extensions: towards the rimand towards the hub,

by which they are fastened through bolts 39 to flanges 33 of metalstirrups 34, 34' reinforced by cross arched ribs 29, 29, Figures 6 and7. Two cross ribs are provided in each housing element.

Each member 34 has, besides the cross ribs 29 and flange 33,longitudinal flanges 35 which are vulcanized or otherwise secured to theouter side of the well of rim l.

Theinternal members 34' (Figure 7), besides the cross rib 29' andflanges 33', are provided Each member 34' servesto connect the housingelements, of two contiguous blocks through the flanges 33' which areconnected to flanges 32' of the housing elements through bolts 39.

The sides 3|, 3| of the housing elements are shaped so as to graduatethe angular deformations of the rubber blocks resting on them; they arealso provided with heads 30, 30 which serve the same purpose ofadjusting the deformations in a radial direction accordingtorequirements as the rubber: blocks gradually bear thereon after acertain degree of radial deformation.

Arrangement of bridge-pieces 29, 29' along an arc together with thestaggering of the rubber blocks of the outer row with respect to thoseof" the inner row, afiford maximum resilient deformat-ions, and,consequently, the maximum relative movement between rim and hub in theplane of the wheel, even with wheels of small diameter.

What I claim is: v

1. In a resilient wheel, a hub, a rim, a flat metal disc radiallyarranged edgewise in the middle plane of the wheel, two circularconcentric rows of rubber pads vulcanized tosaid disc, the pads of theinner row being connected to side flanges on the hub and the pads of theouter row being connected to side flanges on the rim.

2. In a resilient wheel, a hub, a rim, means for resiliently supportingsaid hub and rim relatively to each other comprisinga flanged ring ofmetal radially arranged in the middle plane of the wheel and beingprovided with radial extensions, rubber pads integrally connected bypairs, one on each side on said radial extensions of the ring and meansconnecting said pads with said rim and said hub, respectively.

3. A resilient wheel comprising a hub, a rim, and a flanged metal ringradially arranged in the middle plane of the wheel, said ring beingprovided with radial extensions, and rubber pads vulcanized by pairs oneon each side on said radial extensions of the ring, the pad pairs beingarranged on two co-axial rows staggered to each other and meansconnecting said pads with said rim or said hub, respectively.

4. A resilient wheel comprising a hub, a, rim, a flanged metal discradially arranged in the middle plane of the wheel, said ring beingprovided with radial extensions, rubber pads vulcanized by pairs on saidextensions, and a pair of box-halves one for each pad for compressingthe pads in a, direction transversely of the wheel between therespective pairs of box-halves and means connecting said pads with saidrim or said middle plane of the wheel, said ring being provided withradial extensions and rubber pads integrally connected by pairs on saidextensions, pairs of box-halves for compressing each pair of pads in adirection transversely of the wheel, said box-halves being secured tothe rim and hub, respectively, by means of stirrups provided with crossbridge-shaped ribs. r

' 6. A resilient wheel comprising a hub, a rim, a flanged metal ringradiall arranged in the middle plane of the Wheel, said ring beingarranged between two. rubber rings connected to- "Pfjgether to form adouble T-seotion means for Number compressing said rings in a directiontransversely of the wheel and means for connecting said compressingmeanswith either said rim or said hub,

v respectively.

7. A resilient wheel comprising a hub, a rim,

aflanged metal disc radially arranged in the middle plane of the wheeland incorporated be-- tweenrubber rings connected together to form adouble Tesection, a'nnularmetal flanges compressing the rubber rings in.a transverse direc-,.

tion, said flanges being incorporated in the rubber rings andbeingconnected to cooperating flanges on the rim and hub, respectively.

8. A resilient wheel comprising a hub, a rim, a flanged metal discradiallyarranged in the middle plane of the wheel, rubber rings secured.i to saiddisc and connected together to form a double T-section, annularmetal flanges cornpressing the rings in: a transverse direction andbeing connected to the rubber rings and to cooperating flanges on therim and hub, respectively,

and bridge-pieces connecting together the flanges incorporated in theringsandcompressing the Name Date 472,856 Carmont Apr. 12, 1892 519,807I Cloud May 15, 1894v 1,684,596 Patchin Sept. 18, 1928 2,295,269 PironSept. 8, 1942 2,295,270. Piron Sept. 8, 1942 FOREIGN PATENTS NumberCountry Datev I 14,400 France Nov. 27, 1911

